Economic conference starts here Sunday

MARYLAND WATCH

The West-East Conference of Ministers, which was canceled because of the blizzard that hit the mid-Atlantic region in early January, has been rescheduled in Baltimore for Sunday through Tuesday.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown is scheduled to be the host for the economic conference, which will be held at the Stouffer Renaissance Harborplace Hotel.

The event is expected to be attended by economic ministers from the so-called Group of Seven, or G-7, countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States.

Economic ministers from 14 developing countries, such as Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic, also are expected, as are representatives from the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Started in 1992, the conference focuses on micro-economic factors affecting trade and investment between Western and Eastern countries.

Representatives from the private sector are invited to express their insights and views on the issues.